56 WORCESTER COTOTTY HORTICULTITRAL SOCrETY. [1885. 



and rusts, with over-production staring us in the face, it is only the 

 intelligent, the progressive, the industrious, that will succeed. The 

 laggards will be left behind. 



APPENDIX D. 



Abstract of lecture of Prof. A. G. Cook, of Michigan State 

 Agricultural College, on " Economic Entomology:" 



The lecturer had displayed on the stage five charts illustrating the 

 different kinds of insects and their growth from the egg and larvae to 

 the perfect insect. Prof. Cook was introduced by C. J. Monroe of 

 South Haven, the acting-president, and said in substance : The major 

 part of the insects who were so destructive of plant life worked either 

 entirely at night or was so hidden in the soil that the husbandman was 

 not able to discover them. Every vegetable or fruit tree fed a great 

 number of different kinds of insects. ■ The lecturer showed by statistics 

 how much the country lost every year by the ravages of insects. The 

 known amount of damage in money done last year was $2,000,000, 

 and the unknown damage was probably as much more. The number 

 of species of destructive insects was increasing every year, and the 

 problem of warring against them was becoming more and more 

 important. A large number of these insect pests were very formidable 

 because as a rule they had no bird foes in this country. A study of 

 insect life showed that they changed their tastes and habits and in 

 time they left one plant and attacked another. As soon as they 

 destroyed one kind of vegetable or fruit they fed on some other. 

 This showed that eternal vigilance was the price of good harvests. A 

 few years ago California was absolutely free from injurious insects, 

 while now that State is infested as much as any other. All insects 

 had their foes and the reason why these scourges came often in 

 epidemics and stopped as suddenly was that these foes to insect life 

 were working all the time. A knowledge of these insect foes, both 

 natural and artificial, was absolutely necessary to the farmer and fruit- 

 grower. A knowledge of the habits and life of jnsects was also 

 necessary so that the best means of exterminating the pests could be 

 learned. Experimenting on the different ways of getting rid of insects 

 should be encouraged and money should be expended in carrying on 

 experiments. Economic Entomology should be studied by all per- 

 sons who expect to succeed in fruit-growing and farming. 



